The Thirteenth Day by Aditya Iyengar Read Free Book Online Page A

end with a few jokes at my expense. The next thing I knew, Draupadi was being dragged out from her seat by Sushasana.
    We were stunned. Suyodhana and Radheya were jeering that I had just lost my kingdom and family and everyone in the sabha was witness to that. My brothers huddled around me as some of the senior members of the sabha shook their heads in agreement and others in disapproval. It all became surreal.
    Sushasana began pulling off Draupadi’s sari, claiming her as his slave, and I did not know how to react. Thankfully, Krishna intervened and pulled Draupadi out of Sushasana’s reach even as Bhima howled and went after him. The sabha rose and broke the two of them apart.
    We were issued a formal apology, but the senior members of the Kuru council, including Bhishma and Guru Drona, ruled that since I had acted irresponsibly and made a bet and lost my kingdom, I didn’t deserve to rule it and sent me and my brothers into exile for thirteen years. It was all a ruse. We had been neatly manipulated and robbed of our kingdom to keep Grandsire’s precious peace.
    They’ve laughed at me ever since…for losing everything in a game of dice.
    In the next thirteen years, I shook off my naiveté. And while Suyodhana spent his time expanding his empire through war, I expanded ours through my family of five. We married into the Matsya kingdom and the Yadava confederacy and promised trade privileges to the king of Chedi. When we returned, my family was a coalition of the largest kingdoms in the land.

RADHEYA
    I hadn’t really expected my name to be in the running when Suyodhana mentioned that there were two likely candidates for the post of commander-in-chief. Not least because I’d just returned to the army after a spell of insubordination. If anything, I was expecting to hear the names of Drona and Bhagadatta. So when he announced ‘Drona’ and ‘Radheya’, I was genuinely surprised. What surprised me more was the fact that there were no sarcastic comments in my direction from the allies. If anything, they appeared grateful in the fawning manner of the truly desperate.
    Bhagadatta came up to me and cackled heartily, ‘Well, boy, nine akshauhinis to your name now. Or is it seven? No matter. Excited?’
    Before I could answer him, a set of loud thumps broke every thread of conversation passing through the room. Suyodhana wielded the Speaking Staff.
    ‘Now, we choose. If anyone has any objections to the names put forth, or would like to add any more names now, please do so immediately.’
    Murmurs filled the room. Grandsire hadn’t needed a Speaking Staff to control his audience. And I could see Suyodhana was getting irritated playing traffic officer to our allies. He stood silent, arms on his hip, and glared out at the room as he did whenever circumstances did not agree with him. A tantrum hung in delicate balance. Drona sensed as much and intervened, ‘Come, come. Let’s have it out then. We need a leader before the next yuga. ’
    A couple of senior allies conferred with each other and raised their hands. Bhagadatta caught their eye and made a gesture ever so slightly with his fingers. The allies bowed their heads and stood silent after that.
    After a brief pause, Drona continued, ‘So, I assume that Suyodhana’s choices are acceptable to everyone gathered here?’
    I don’t know whether he was genuinely trying to end the meeting or obliquely asking the council to reconsider, even deny me. In any case, the crowd rumbled their assent.
    ‘Well then, let’s make it simple. Let us have a show of hands to elect either Radheya or me as your commander.’
    He had tricked me. I glanced casually at the gathered assembly. Their faces were like stone. No one here would vote against him, not in front of him at least. Neither would they presume to ask for another means of selection. It was inevitable; a public vote wouldn’t swing any way but his.
    But I didn’t want Drona to think that he had scored one over